Lifting means

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an inflatable bag which is used for lifting vehicles which are involved in a crash or in shoring earth works and is particularly suitable were the ground is soft or in icy or snowy conditions. The lifting bag is of strong reinforced neoprene, the reinforcements being a system of webbings.

United States Patent [1 1 Smith 11 3,744,756 [451 July 10,1973

[ LIFTING MEANS [75] Inventor: Robert Leonard Mastyn Smith,

Cardiff, Wales [73] Assignee: M.F.C. Survival Limited, Rhondda,

Glamorganshire, Wales 22 Filed: Aug. 2, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 168,146

[52] [1.5. CI. 254/93 HP [51] Int. Cl 1366f 3/24 [58] Field of Search 254/93 HP 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,495,092 l/l950 Cox et al. t. 254/93 HP 1,752,101 3/1930 Meutsch 254/93' HP 2,609,177 9/1952 Hughes 254/93 HP 3,644,449 7/1953 Champagne 254/93 HP Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner--Robert C. Watson Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [5 7 ABSTRACT The invention relates to an inflatable bag which is used for lifting vehicles which are involved in a crash or in shoring earth works and is particularly suitable were the ground is soft or in icy or snowy conditions. The lifting bag is of strong reinforced neoprene, the reinforcements being a system of webbings.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures saw u or 4 LIFTING MEANS The invention relates to a pressure lifting means or the like suitably in the form of bag means and which in operation said bag means made of strong material is placed under an object, such as a lorry, which requires to be lifted, and is inflated whereby the object is raised.

The lifting means according to the invention is therefore extremely useful when heavy objects are required to be lifted in an emergency, for example, after a vehicle accident. Lifting of the vehicle may save lives as trapped persons can be more easily attended to or extricated. Such lifting means must therefore be easily transportable.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pressure lifting means which consists of an impermeable material which has flexible, reinforced walls and is in the form of bag means, the bag means being adapted to be inflated and deflated with a fluid medium through valve means.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide bag means for emergency rescue work, such as lifting a crashed vehicle to extricate passengers where a conventional jack would not be possible or practicable; holding trench shorings in danger of collapse, and various other rescue operations where irregular or soft ground conditions exist.

It is another object of the invention to provide restraining means comprising a system of nylon restraining webbings each with a breaking strain of 2,000 lbs. secured between top and bottom wall means for strengthening and stabilising purposes.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide the top and bottom wall means of the bag means of thick reinforced neoprene proofed material to prevent puncturing when coming into contact with sharp objects.

According to another object said webbings are stitched to a web base patch and passed through the said top and bottom wall means. Said base patch is then bonded to the wall means and then covered by a fabric cover patch doubler stitched in place by stitching means.

The invention furthermore, is further realised by providing the bag means to be substantially cylindrical and fitted with a 2 inch diameter inflation sleeve at about the middle of the side wall means.

It will be understood that the lifting means can be made to suit any size requirements of a particular user, and appropriate working pressures can be given for each size.

The bag means are constructed of air holding proofed fabric and the wall means are joined with a rubber or neoprene solution. These and other objects of the invention will become evident following reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not limitive of the invention and in which:

FIG. I is a side elevation of one embodiment of lifting means according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail enlarged view of the restraining means;

FIG. 3 is a corresponding plan;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of part of the lifting means of FIG. 1 showing auxiliary means;

FIG. 5 shows valve means;

. FIG. 6 is a vertical section through a second embodiment of lifting means;

FIG. 7 is a corresponding plan; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the second embodiment.

In the drawings, 1 represents the top wall means or panel and 3 bottom wall means or panel. A valve means in the form of an air inlet/outlet 4 is about halfway down the bag means or like container and restraining means is shown comprising nylon webbings 2. The webbings 2 pass under base patches, numbered 6, with the covering patch doubler 5 stitched thereof. The side wall means or panel of the bag means is shown at 8 and extends between said top and bottom wall means.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the periphery of the bag means has respective upper and lower sliding clasp fastener means 7, indicated at 9, and auxiliary upper and lower pouches 10, each having a sliding clasp fastener 9 co-operating with a respective fastener on the bag means. Each pouch 10 is also connected by a flap to the bag means so that when the fasteners are open each pouch can be lifted for the insertion of a protective pad 12 of rubberised hair or leather belting.

The essential part in the making of the bag is the attachment of the restraining webbings which must pass through the top and bottom panels to have the effect required. If these webbings were fitted inside in the normal way of construction the top and bottom panels would pull away when the bag was inflated under the desired pressure.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 the webbings are stitched to the base patch 6 which is passed through an opening in the panel (top and bottom) and solutioned to 'the panels, over which is then solutioned a cover patch doubler 5.

In the second embodiment of lifting means, shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the protective pad 12 is a heavy rubber pad which is incorporated in the top 1 and bottom 3 of the bag means. The top and bottom pouch, zip fasteners and hair pads of the first embodiment are accordingly dispensed with.

In both embodiments the inlet/outlet 4 is connected to a valve 20 (FIG. 5) including a relief 21 set at for example 6 lbs. per sq. in. maximum. The valve 20 shown is for use with two lifting bag means according to the invention and has two control levers 22. The valve also includes an exhaust lever 23 for (a) balancing lift, (b) relieving pressure and (c) deflating after use. The inlet/outlet 4 is connected by hose to a fitting 24 on the valve 20.

In use, the uninflated bag means is placed in a position where a safe, rapid lift is required, for example on soft, irregular ground, especially in snow or icy conditions, or under a weak part of a vehicle such as a side of a coach or roof of a car, or to store up a collapsed or weak trench or tunnel. The lifting bag means of the invention can also be used to lift light aircraft. When in position the valve 20 is connected to a source of fluid and to the inlet/outlet 4, and either i. carbon dioxide, an inert gas, or air from a cylinder,

ii. exhaust from a motor vehicle, or

iii. pressurised water is passed into the lifting means to inflate the bag means in a controlled manner. As the bag inflates, so the article to be lifted is raised. If exhaust gases are used, the engine throttle may be used to control speed of inflation.

In a typical example of lifting means according to the invention, a bag means has the following features:

24 inches Diameter 6 I cm Lift 2,710 lbs. 1,230 kg Maximum pressure 6 psi 0.4 Kg/cm Deflated height 1% inches 12 cm Height of lift 17 inches 43 cm Cu. capacity 4.7 cu. ft. 0.13 cu. meter I claim:

1. A pressure lifting means for placing under an object to be lifted, comprising:

expansible bag means constructed from a fluid impermeable material and including top, bottom and side wall means defining an internal chamber adapted to have a pressurized fluid supplied thereto, said wall means being flexible and said side wall means extending between and fixedly interconnected to said top wall means and said bottom wall means; restraining means associated with said bag means for reinforcing same for enabling the fluid as supplied to the chamber to be substantially pressurized, said restraining means including a plurality of flexible reinforcing web members disposed in the interior of said bag means, said web members extending between and having the opposite ends thereof fixedly connected to the top and bottom wall means;

said top wall means having passage means formed therein and the upper ends of said web members extending through said passage means, and means fixedly connecting the upper ends of said web members to said top wall means;

said bottom wall means having passage means formed therein and the lower ends of said web members extending through said passage means and means coacting between the lower ends of said web members and said bottom wall means for fixedly interconnecting same; and

valve means providing communication between said internal chamber and a location disposed exteriorly of said bag means for providing a passage for the flow of said fluid into orout of said bag means so as to permit same to be inflated or deflated, respectively.

2. A lifting means according to claim 1, further including first and second auxiliary means having substantially similar surface areas to the top and bottom wall means, respectively, said first and second auxiliary means being secured respectively to the top and bottom wall means and forming respective pouches, and sliding clasp fastening means extending around the pcriphery of the respective top and bottom wall means and associated with each of the pouches for closing same.

3. A lifting means according to claim 2, wherein each pouch has a pad means disposed therein, said pad means being of a flexible material.

4. A lifting means according to claim 1, further including protective pad means integrally incorporated into said top and bottom wall means for strengthening same.

5. A lifting means according to claim 1, wherein said web members are constructed of nylon.

6. A lifting means according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower ends of said web members are folded over so as to overlap the exterior surfaces of the top and bottom wall means, respectively, and patch means overlying the folded ends of said pad members and a portion of the respective top and bottom wall means for fixedly and sealingly connecting the ends of said web members to the respective top and bottom wall means.

7. A pressure lifting means for placing under an object to be lifted, comprising a fluid impermeable material which has flexible and reinforced walls and is in the form of bag means, valve means, said valve means communicating between the exterior and interior of said bag means whereby there is ingress and egress of a fluid to inflate or deflate the bag means, said bag means comprising top-wall means, bottom wall means, and side wall means, said side wall means extending between said top and bottom wall means, there being sliding clasp fastener means around the periphery of the respective top wall means and bottom wall means and auxiliary means of substantially similar surface area to the bottom and top wall secured respectively to the top and bottom wall means and forming respective pouches, each of which is adapted to be closed by fastening the respective sliding clasp fastener means.

8. A lifting means according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary means comprises pad means in the form of leather belting in said respective pouches. 

1. A pressure lifting means for placing under an object to be lifted, comprising: expansible bag means constructed from a fluid impermeable material and including top, bottom and side wall means defining an internal chamber adapted to have a pressurized fluid supplied thereto, said wall means beinG flexible and said side wall means extending between and fixedly interconnected to said top wall means and said bottom wall means; restraining means associated with said bag means for reinforcing same for enabling the fluid as supplied to the chamber to be substantially pressurized, said restraining means including a plurality of flexible reinforcing web members disposed in the interior of said bag means, said web members extending between and having the opposite ends thereof fixedly connected to the top and bottom wall means; said top wall means having passage means formed therein and the upper ends of said web members extending through said passage means, and means fixedly connecting the upper ends of said web members to said top wall means; said bottom wall means having passage means formed therein and the lower ends of said web members extending through said passage means and means coacting between the lower ends of said web members and said bottom wall means for fixedly interconnecting same; and valve means providing communication between said internal chamber and a location disposed exteriorly of said bag means for providing a passage for the flow of said fluid into or out of said bag means so as to permit same to be inflated or deflated, respectively.
 2. A lifting means according to claim 1, further including first and second auxiliary means having substantially similar surface areas to the top and bottom wall means, respectively, said first and second auxiliary means being secured respectively to the top and bottom wall means and forming respective pouches, and sliding clasp fastening means extending around the periphery of the respective top and bottom wall means and associated with each of the pouches for closing same.
 3. A lifting means according to claim 2, wherein each pouch has a pad means disposed therein, said pad means being of a flexible material.
 4. A lifting means according to claim 1, further including protective pad means integrally incorporated into said top and bottom wall means for strengthening same.
 5. A lifting means according to claim 1, wherein said web members are constructed of nylon.
 6. A lifting means according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower ends of said web members are folded over so as to overlap the exterior surfaces of the top and bottom wall means, respectively, and patch means overlying the folded ends of said pad members and a portion of the respective top and bottom wall means for fixedly and sealingly connecting the ends of said web members to the respective top and bottom wall means.
 7. A pressure lifting means for placing under an object to be lifted, comprising a fluid impermeable material which has flexible and reinforced walls and is in the form of bag means, valve means, said valve means communicating between the exterior and interior of said bag means whereby there is ingress and egress of a fluid to inflate or deflate the bag means, said bag means comprising top wall means, bottom wall means, and side wall means, said side wall means extending between said top and bottom wall means, there being sliding clasp fastener means around the periphery of the respective top wall means and bottom wall means and auxiliary means of substantially similar surface area to the bottom and top wall secured respectively to the top and bottom wall means and forming respective pouches, each of which is adapted to be closed by fastening the respective sliding clasp fastener means.
 8. A lifting means according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary means comprises pad means in the form of leather belting in said respective pouches. 